Q&A with Indigenous culture experts offers knowledge, understanding

Q&A with Indigenous culture experts offers knowledge, understanding

The themes in Cherie Dimaline's best seller, The Marrow Thieves, are inspiring discussions about Indigenous culture in Canada and Londoners will have a unique opportunity to participate at the Central Library next week.

Fanshawe College instructor Sara Mai Chitty will moderate a panel of Indigenous culture experts who will be answering questions from the public at the London Public Library's Central Branch next week. Many of the questions are being inspired by Cherie Dimaline's novel The Marrow Thieves, this year's One Book One London selection. (Chris Montanini, The Londoner)

The themes in Cherie Dimaline’s best seller, The Marrow Thieves, are inspiring discussions about Indigenous culture in Canada and Londoners will have a unique opportunity to participate at the Central Library next week.

A panel of local Indigenous people is meeting Feb. 28 to help bridge the gap of knowledge and understanding in the community. Representing a range of organizations and services, such as Atlohsa Native Family Healing Services, the Thames Valley District School Board and Fanshawe College, the six panelists and moderator Sara Mai Chitty will answer questions from the general public submitted in December.

“I wanted to provide an opportunity for people to ask those questions they’re afraid to ask,” explained Chitty, a Fanshawe College instructor who teaches Indigenous storytelling and digital media. “Or those questions they’re not sure who or how to ask (about). I did not know what to expect.”

She received more than 30 questions on a variety of issues: everything from powwows to terminology, even how to ask questions and how to talk to Indigenous people about their experience and how to become involved within that community.

Fanshawe College instructor Sara Mai Chitty will moderate a panel of Indigenous culture experts who will be answering questions from the public at the London Public Library’s Central Branch next week. Many of the questions are being inspired by Cherie Dimaline’s novel The Marrow Thieves, this year’s One Book One London selection. (Chris Montanini, The Londoner)

Some questions were triggered by The Marrow Thieves, The London Public Library’s One Book One London selection this year. The young adult book addresses today’s issues through a fictional dystopian future. It won the Governor General’s award for English-language children’s fiction and the Kirkus Prize.

Dimaline is a Georgian Bay Metis with a strong interest in community. She will be in London for an evening of stories and music at Wolf Performance Hall on March 4.

One question especially resonated with Chitty; it was about Indigenous culture’s love and respect for the earth, what that feels like, and why it is so important.

“I’m excited to hear the panelists’ answers,” Chitty said. “It is one of the fundamental issues in Canada, misunderstandings between Canadians and Indigenous people, an inability to understand what we’re talking about. It’s a great question we can pull apart. It should be a relationship we all have.”

Chitty said the idea for the upcoming panel has been in her mind for a while. At one point, she considered a radio or podcast series to address “translation exhaustion.” The phrase was coined by Dr. Twyla Baker to describe the feeling of having to explain the background and historical context of issues, over and over, before being able to have a conversation.

“I hope people are coming who are curious and willing to look at things from a different perspective,” Chitty said. “We are not presenting this perspective as better or more, just different. We share the same territory, live in the same area. We are people wanting to build a better relationship.”

Chitty chose each member of the panel for their interest and expertise corresponding to the questions.

“These people speak from personal experience, from studying, or their careers,” she said. “Jenna Rose Sands (a Cree Ojibwe artist who creates educational zines) is well-informed on many issues. Eagle Flight Singers bring powwow knowledge and perspective. A representative of the TVDSB will address growing up with your culture and youth issues.”

Atlohsa brings healing and trauma counselling expertise.

There are three reserves in the London area: Chippewa, Oneida and Munsee-Delaware, a fact many aren’t aware of, said Chitty, a member of Alderville First Nations, a Mississauga Ojibwe which is part of the Anishinaabe-speaking First Nations people located in southern Ontario.

Her grandfather was an eagle staff bearer and shared stories about their culture with her.

“Otter Clan is my family,” she said. “Looking back, storytelling was such a part of everything. Language plays a key role in my study.”

Chitty teaches Indigenous storytelling and basic writing courses at Fanshawe, as well as being transitions and learning advisor for Indigenous students.

“It chose me,” she said of her career. “I started at Western studying linguistics and quickly realized it was not at all what I thought.”

While volunteering at the university’s radio station, CHRW, and student paper, The Gazette, she earned her master’s in journalism in the last year of the program.

After graduation, Chitty worked as a journalist in northern Ontario.

“The communities taught me more than I taught them,” she said. “I realized storytelling is so much a part of the way we learn and do things.

“Indigenous communities are so diverse,” she continued. “We have similar teachings, similar culture, but there is confusion caused by looking at us as one people, one way. There are so many different aspects to our identity that need to be taken into account.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Bridging the Gap: Discussing Indigenous Issues and Culture with Indigenous People